Rail-bond.



No. 872,142. iATENTED NOV. 26, 1907. A; H. MOSHER.

RAIL BOND.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 17; 1907.

srairne Parana oniucn WEST FIELD N EW JERSEY.

RAIL-noun.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented u ov. 2c, i907.

Applica ion filer. January 17. 1907. Dons! No. 3521378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ASA ll. h'losuun, a citizen'of the United States, residing at lVestfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RaiLBonds, oi which the following is a specification,reference hcing had therein to the acconmanying drawings,; forming a part thereof.

4 My invention relates to ran oonds or means for making electrical or other wire or lu connections with such objects as rail- I way-rails.

the tight closing ofall joints My invention has for its objects, simplicity of construction, ease of application,

and the maintenance of such tight closure, the attainment and maintenance of perfect contact between the bond-Wire and the connector and the ,rail or other conductor, and the production of a durable and non-corrodible j oint My invention includes a connector so formed and constructed as to have a portion of its substance or material or body more readily yielding thanother portions, to permit the device to be driven into a hole or opening otherwise too small to receive it,

and further to cause the device, when so drlven, to re-act with great gripping power on a Wn'e or other member which the device incloses.

My invention also includes an accessory to the means having this feature of dill'crential. yield, give or How of the substance or material composing the device, the formation of the device with a slot the sides. of which are adapted to come together to contract the device and thereby to roughly adjust it to the opening into which it is to be driven and. likewise to adjust it roughly to loses. As stated, theseaccessory means effect only a comparatively rough, preliminary adjustment of the parts to each other, leaving it to the dill'orcntial yield feature to cfl'ect the ultimate and com- .plcte adjustment and contact between the parts. In the drawings, Figure l is a horizontal sectional-view of a pair of rails united by fish-plates and electrically connected by a surround rail-bond embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged crosssection of one of the rails passing centrally through the connector tion being taken on a vertical plane. Fig. 3 is a further enlarged longitudinal section of the connector dotachcd and before it is driven into the rail to. .lllP-lOSQ the bond-wire. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same.

Describing now my invention No .llustrated in the gmrticular emln'xlimont shown in the drawings, the connector is'in the form of a plug 1 adaptei'l to be driven into a bore or hole in the web 2 of either rail and to engage the same with a driving fit. For this purpose the plug is slightly tapering in form.

An opening 4 provided in the plug to receive the end of the rail-bond or wire or other connection 5 as the case may be. This plug-opening is located cccentrica'lly in the plug so as to leave a thin metal portion 6 011 one side of the opening and a thick metal portion 7 on the other side thereof, and the thick metal portion is cut through or slotted, the slot being designated 8 and clearly shown in Fig. 4. Thus the opening 4 is lo cated entirely within the plug, the Walls of the plug encompassing it so that the Wire makes contact entirely with the plug.

employed for ,lhc material which I have the plugs above described is a moderately soft iron, such as commercial wrought iron.

In the use of a connector the wlre is inserted in the opening in the plug, and the plug is then driven into the rail-hole. Since the plug is adapted to on age the rail-hole with a driving-lit, the first effect of the driving operation is to jam the sides of the out together. As soon, however, as the sides of the out have actually come together, the yielding of the plug at this point is practically at an end, and the additional yield or give required of the plug topermit further driving is provided by the thin metal portion. 6 described above. This thin portion yields under the drive so as to permit the plug to be driven into an absolutely tight contact with the walls of the rail-hole and also and atthe same time so as to permit the walls of the opening 4 in the plug to close in snugly about the wire to the extent of fully surrounding -it' with a tight and clenching grip. Again, this thin metal portion, as it yields, flows into and fills any adjacent existent gap or space between the plug and the ing wall of the rail-hole. Whenever the word rail is used in the accompanying claims, said expression is intended to include any object to which it is practicable to secure a Wire connection by theuse of the device of my Within invention.

Sinularly, the word Wil'fi is-intended the clait'nsto cover not only wires strictly so-called, but other forms of rail-lmnds or conductors adapted to cot'3pernte-with inenns l embodying my invention for the purposefol' being connected with :1 mil :1 ther suitably 1 adapted object.

It is obvious that inodilientions may be 1 made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the principle: and scope of my inYentiun. I Ul1iIl1Z--- 1. The coinhination ot' n rail. :1 wire to'be I connected therewith, and an intermediate connector comprising a plug adapted to engage a hole in the rztil with ndri- \'in tit,

the plug' being; provided with an opening adapted to receive the wire and this-opening being located entiretywithin the plug and hzivinggits surrounding walls thin in one por tion and thick in other portions, the thick 5 portion being slotted, and the thin portion being adapted to yield when the plug with the wire therein is driven into the rail.

2. The combination of a raiha wire to be connected therewith, and; an intermediate eonnector comprising a tapered plug adapted to engage zrhole in the rail with a driving fit, the plug being in the form of a hollow shell split. longitudinally, the hollow of the shell 1 being adapted te receive the 'wire, and the wall thereoi' opposite the split portion being of. reduced thickness to adapt it to yield when the plug with the wire therein is driv n nte the rail. v

in testimony whereof 1 have allixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. 

